1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a text inputting device for inputting a text to an information processing system such as a computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, as input systems for inputting a Japanese text including KANJI characters (Chinese and Japanese ideographs called KANJIs) to an information handling system such as a computer, a full KANJI key set system and a KANA or alphabetic key system have been known.
In the full KANJI key set system, KANJI characters, KANA characters, alphanumeric characters, symbols and a space to be entered (hereinafter aggregatively called input characters) are allocated to keys arranged in a single or multi-plane keyboard and keys corresponding to characters to be entered are depressed to enter a Japanese text.
In this system, input characters are marked or graved on the keys and an operator has to search keys corresponding to the input characters. Since any special or complex manipulation is not necessary to enter the input characters, a variety of operators including beginners and experts can use the system. However, 2,000 to 4,000 KANJI characters must be usually prepared to input the Japanese text and it is time consuming to search a key from such a large number of KANJI keys. Hence, the burden on the operator is substantial. Accordingly, a character input speed in this system is 10 to 20 characters per minute for a beginner and 60 characters per minute for an expert.
On the other hand, in the KANA or alphabetic key system, the number of keys is limited to several tens in order to improve the poor operability and the low character input speed in the full KANJI key system. Usually, a KANA typewriter or an alphabetic typewriter is used in this system.
The KANA or alphabetic key system includes a number of methods. Among others, it includes a mnemonic code system which is a high speed input system designed for an expert and a system of candidates display and choice (hereinafter called display and choice system) for a beginner. Those systems will now be explained.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the mnemonic code system, in which FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration and FIG. 2 shows an example of a mnemonic code configuration.
Referring to FIG. 1, by depressing a desired key on a KANA keyboard 1, a read address of data stored in a memory 2 is determined. The memory 2 stores KANJI codes in a relation with KANA characters as shown in FIG. 2. The mnemonic code is a combination of plural characters of a first kind, the combination being predetermined uniquely corresponding to each of characters of a second kind. Two KANA character codes are to be inputted to output a KANJI character using the mnemonic code stored in the memory 2. The first KANA character defines a row in a vertical line 1 in FIG. 2 and the second KANA character defines a column in a horizontal line 2 in FIG. 2. For example, when a KANA key " " and a KANA key " " are depressed, code representing a KANJI character " " is read from the memory 2. The KANJI code representing the KANJI character corresponds to an address of a memory of a character generator (not shown) in which the KANJI character " " is stored, and a character pattern is read from the character generator based on the code information and displayed on a display (not shown).
In the mnemonic code system, the operator must memorize the character string for the mnemonic code since the KANJI character is read out by two KANA characters code. However, once the operator has fully memorized the character string, an input speed for the KANJI character is one half of that for the KANA character. For example, an operator who can operate a KANA typewriter at a speed of 300 characters per minute can enter the KANJI characters at a speed of 150 characters per minute.
In general, when the Japanese text including the KANA characters and the KANJI characters is to be entered, not only the KANJI characters but also the KANA characters are inputted by two strokes using KANA keys and space key or other keys in order to keep a rhythm in keying operation.
Thus, the mnemonic code system allows a high speed input of the Japanese text for a trained expert operator but it is not suitable to an untrained beginner operator.
FIGS. 3, 4a and 4b illustrate the display and choice system, in which FIG. 3 shows a basic configuration and FIGS. 4a and 4b show a relation between a displayed content and a key arrangement.
Referring to FIG. 3, an output derived by depressing a desired key on a KANA keyboard 1 is switched by a selection switch 3. When a KANA character is to be entered, the switch 3 is thrown to a contact b so that the output from the keyboard 1 is directly supplied through the contact b. On the other hand, when a KANJI character is to be entered, the switch 3 is thrown to a contact a so that the output from the KANA keyboard 1 is supplied to a KANJI file 4 containing a KANJI dictionary, through the contact a. Candidate KANJI characters having ON representation (phonetic representation of KANJI character) or KUN representation (Japanese reading of KANJI character) corresponding to a string of KANA characters from the output of KANA keyboard 1 are read from the KANJI file 4 and stored in a buffer memory 5. The content of the buffer memory 5 is displayed on the display 7. A display format is shown in FIG. 4a. In the illustrated example, in order to input a KANJI character " ", a phonetic representation " " is inputted by depressing two KANA keys on the KANA keyboard 1 and resulting candidate KANJI characters read from the KANJI file 4 into the buffer memory 5 are displayed on the display 7. The operator watches the candidate KANJI characters displayed on the display 7 and chooses the KANJI character " " from the candidates by depressing one of ten numeric keys 6. As seen from FIGS. 4a and 4b, the display format shown in FIG. 4a corresponds to the arrangement of the ten numeric keys shown in FIG. 4b. Accordingly, by depressing a numeric key "2", the KANJI character " " is chosen from the candidates and inputted to a computer.
In this display and choice system, the operator has to choose the KANJI character while watching the displayed candidate KANJI characters. Accordingly, it is not possible to enter the characters by blind typing or keying using touch method and the character inputting speed is lower than that of the mnemonic code system. However, it is not necessary to memorize the codes and even a beginner can enter the Japanese text if the apparatus is programmed to enable the readout of the candidate KANJI characters either by ON or KUN representation. If the KANA keyboard 1 is replaced by an alphabetic keyboard so that the KANA characters are inputted by Roman character representation or if the KANA matrix keyboard has an arrangement of KANA keys in which rows and columns correspond to consonants and vowels, respectively, the beginner can readily enter the Japanese text. According to an experiment, when the Roman characters are inputted using the alphabetic keyboard, an operator who can key in alphabetic characters 300 characters per minute could enter the Japanese text including the KANA characters and the KANJI characters at a speed of 50 characters per minute. A non-experienced operator who can type the alphabetic characters only 30 characters per minute could enter the Japanese text at a speed of 10 characters per minute. This speed is substantially equal to that of the full KANJI key set system. However, in the full KANJI key set system, the operator must search a desired character key out of 2000 to 4000 character keys but in the present system the number of the candidate KANJI characters is several to ten and several. Accordingly, the operability is much better and a feeling of fatigue of the operator is less.
As described above, in the mnemonic code system, the expert operator can type in blindly at a high speed but the beginner operator cannot type at a high speed. In addition, considerable training is required before the operator can enter the Japanese text in the mnemonic code system.
In the display and choice system, the beginner operator can readily use the apparatus but the character inputting speed is about one half of that of the mnemonic code system even by the expert operator because the operator cannot key in blindly.